Garter.



H. E. GRABAU.

GARTER.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 22. 1915.

l 9 l 9% 1 $4M Patented Sept. 12, 1916.

enrich.

HANS n. GRABAU, or NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR T0 GABRIEL ABRAHAM, on NEW YORK, N. Y.

GARTER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 12, ll lll'ii.

Application filed October 22, 1915. Serial No. 57,295.

T 0 all whom it may concern." p

Be it known that I, HANS E. GRABAU, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Garters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to garters and its object is to produce a garter which shall be sanitary and more durable than those at present on the market. To this end my improved garter comprises a band of nonelasticwebbing and a spring device comprising a. flexible spring inclosed in a. non-metallic extensible casing.

The above and other objects and the novel features of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a view illustrating a garter in use and having a clasp embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a side view of the clasp embodying my invention; Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse cross section of the clasp taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; Fig. A is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the clasp taken on the line 44 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawing, and Fig. 1 in particular, the garter comprises a band of non-elastic webbing 10, provided at one end with a celluloid hook 11 and at the other end with the elastic device or clasp. A stocking grasping device 12 depends from the band 10 which encircles a leg of the wearer.

The clasp comprises two slidably connected elongated members A and B, which are made of celluloid or similar material which is flexible and non-corrodible. Being flexible, the members will readily bend and the device will fit against the curvedsurface of the body, and being non-corrodible, the perspiration of the body will not rust those arts.

p At one endthe inner member A has a wide portion 13 which is provided with a slot 14 to receive the band 10 and the outer member B is provided at one end with a wide portion 15, provided with a slot 16 to receive the hook 11 attached to the other end of the band 10.

The upper and lower parallel ed es of the member A are bent over and parallel to the outer face of the member A as at 17 and 18 to form guide ways 19 and 20 to receive the parallel inwardly bent edges 21 and 22 of the cooperating member B and hold the same 1n place so that the parts may slide relatively to each other.

One end of the member B is bent inwardly as at 23 and one end of the member A is bent inwardly as at 24. The bent ends 23 and 2-1 form hooks at the ends of said members A and B. The members 23 and 24 space the members A and B apart and with the upper and lower bent edges 17 and 18 form a housing 25 between the members A and B. The members A and B are normally held in contracted position by a spring 26, which is located in the housing 25 between the members A and B. The spring 26 consists of a. single length of wire formed in zigzag shape and having its ends bearing in the seats 27 and 28 formed by the hooks 23 and 24, respectively. The spring 26 tends to draw the band 10 tightly around the leg and stops 29 on the enlarged part 15 of the member B engage the shoulders 30 at the end of the member A to limit the distance to which the members A and B may be drawn together by the spring. It will be noticed that the spring is formed from a wire circular in cross section. Such a construction eliminates sharp corners or edges which would engage the opposing faces of the members A and B in the housing 25 and serves to reduce the friction, and wear between the spring and those members.

Referring to Fig. 3 in particular, it will be noticed that the members A and B are longitudinally curved so that the inner face 31 of the member A will fit the body of the wearer. The parts A and B, being made of flexible material such as celluloid, will, even in cases where the parts A and B are made flat, yield slightly so as to assume the shape of the portion of the body with which they contact. The spring 26 being formed of round wire will work smoothly betweeen the celluloid parts A and B and will not cut or abrade those parts.

\Vhile I have shown and described the construction in detail, minor changes within the scope of the appended claim may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patentis:

A garter comprising a. band of non-elastic webbing and an elastic element consisting of two slidably connected plates of nonmetallic material, one having flanges which serve to retain and guide the other, both plates being curved longitudinally, and each 10 of said plates having one end inwardly turned to form a seat for a spring, and its other end provided with a slotor opening, and a spring consisting of Wire of circular cross section bent in zig-zag form, located between the plates and having its ends resting in said seats, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature. 

